52 FISHES OF >fEW ZEALAND. 



A small flat-fish, also called Patiki by tlie Maoris, is found in some 

 of the rivers ; it is brown, with red blotches on the upper side. I do 

 not know whether it is identical with tliis species or not. 



Peltorhamphus. 



Eyes on the right side ; month small, twisted towards the left side, 

 toothless on the other ; teeth minute, in two distant sea-ies on the left 

 branches of the jaws ; snout dilated, flat, sharp, bent do^vnwards, hook- 

 like ; dorsal commencing on the foremost pai-t of the snout ; ventrals 

 two, the right continiious with the anal, the left small ; scales small, 

 ctenoid ; lateral line straight ; gill membranes broadly united below the 

 throat. 



New Zealand and Noifolk Island. 



84. PELTORHAMPHUS NOV^ ZELANDIiE. Gunth. CM. 



Sole. 



P. novce zelandice, Giinth., IV., 461. 



B. 5 ; D. 92 - 100 ; A. 57 - 64 ; V. dextr. 6 ; sin. 5 ; L. Lat., 78. 



Length three and one-fourth times that of the head, or two and four- 

 fifths the height of the body ; lower eye slightly in advance ; anterior 

 rays of the dorsal protnide beyond the membrane. 



Olivaceous grey, dotted with black, and with two dark spots on the 

 latei'al line ; caudal reddish. 



Wellington Harbour, Norfolk Island. 



Order IV.— PHYSOSTOML 



All the Jin rays articulated, only the first of the dorsal and i)ectoral fins 

 is sometimes more or less ossified; ventrals, if liresent, ahdomincd, 

 witlwut a spine ; air-bladder, if present, witlwut a j^neumatic duct. 



SCOMBRESOCID^. 



Body covered with scales ; a series of keeled scales along each side 

 of the belly ; dorsal fin opposite the anal; no adipose fin ; lower 

 pharyngeals united into a single bone. 



